A Minute Too Late
by MyBeautifulNightmare
Summary: He should never have interrupted.


_November 2nd 1995_

_The two men lay in bed, sleeping peacefully. Their bare chests pressed firmly together. Their limbs tangled together under the sheets. Moonlight peeked its way into the dark room, shining softly on the backs of the older man. His soft snoring filled the room with a silent buzz. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of his husband's neck, nosing the younger man's collar bone. A soft smile tugged on his lips, he dreamed softly of the three boys that surrounded his life. Even during dreamless nights, the picture of his family found its way in. His two sons, Harry (a young boy of four with a wicked sense of humor like his dad) and Peter. A fragile little thing, a smile like and angle, but yet his soft brown eyes were even softer, much like his pops. And of course Steve, or 'pops' that's what Harry started calling him and Peter just caught on. The man he loved more than life, the one who gifted him with the lives of his two children. Everything was perfect in his life. Nothing could go wrong._

_Like he jinxed it or something, and unexpected crash jolted tony out his slumber. He shoved the sheets off of his legs. The used-to-be-hero climbed out of the bed, trying his best to make sure Steve didn't wake up He slipped on the discarded pajama pants on the floor. Making his way over the hallway, he picked up Harry's baseball bat, swinging it at his side._

_"Tony?" Steve stirred, rolling onto his side, his blue eyes crusted with sleep, "What's wrong?"_

_Tony quietly walked over to his husband," I thought I heard something. It's probably nothing, just harry looking for his action figures because he likes to refuse to sleep and become knoc turnal."_

_"Just be careful." Steve murmur, his eyelids slowly closing. Tony smirked, brushing his lips over younger man's forehead before pecking him lightly on the lips. The man walked back out into the hallway and down the steps. Taking two at a time. He readied the bat over his shoulder, silently creeping around the dark corners. Poking his head into different room looking for any sign of a break in._

_"Jarvis, run a scan through the house. Look for anything unusual." Tony requested to his old friend. Even though he dropped Stark towers down to only four levels, Jarvis was still in charge of it all._

**_"No, nothing sir. At least nose that I can see."_**

_"Is Peter and Harry okay?" Tony asked, making his way into the kitchen, flicking on the lights._

**_"Both sound asleep, along with your husband, but I presume that Peter will awake any moment for a bottle."_**_ Jarvis almost cooed, the computer's voice turning gentle as if he were human._

_"I'm already on that. Thanks." Tony popped open the fridge grabbing an already prepared bottle of milk. He placed it into the microwave, pressing the buttons until the timer landed on one minute, and then pressed start._

_Tony leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. The arc reactor dimming lightly across the room. He looked up at the ceiling when soft footsteps padded across the floor. Peter must be awake already the billionaire thought to himself. The beep of the timer went off startling the man. He grabbed the heated bottle and made his way back up to the third floor. He peeked his head in Harry's room, the mischievous young boy completely passed out, clutching his Captain American action figure. He acted like Steve around other people but was one hundred percent his old man._

_A loud crash followed with a bang rang through the air. Tony looked down the hall. Peter's room was cracked open revealing an older man towering over the crib, his back scrawny and thing. No sign of Spangles anywhere. The bottle fell from the man's hand, crashing to the floor. Tony took off running into the room, he halted to a stop in the doorway. His eyes met with viscous yellow ones. The stranger was leaned over Peter's bed, a soft smirk on his pale face. Before he could make a movie the man dashed out of the window, disappearing before he could jump out._

_Tony ran over to his son, cupping his cheek with his hand, running his thumb over the soft skin. Letting out a relieved sigh, he bent over to pick him up when a drop of red liquid dripped onto Peter's forehead then his own hand. He raised his eyebrows in confusion; slowly he cocked his head up to the ceiling gasping loudly. Tony covered his mouth with both of his hand. Shaking his head, tears pooled over his eyes. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't tare his eyes off of the body nailed to the ceiling._

_His knees gave out from under him, the image of Steve pressed up to the wall with his stomach sliced open. His eyed wide with fear and his mouth open in a silent scream. The life taken from him out of nowhere. Tony shook back and forth violently. His vision blurry from all the tears. He gasped loudly for air. He took the risk to look back up at the love of his life one last time. A spark of orange skidded to the ground. All around his husband flames of fire sparked up._

_"Daddy? What's going on?" Harry asked innocently from the door way, his Iron Man and Captain American dolls clutched to his chest in protection. Tony sniffled, shakily standing to his feet. He quickly grabbed Pete from his crib before a flame fell on the wood. Consuming it in fire. He thrusted his son into Harry's arms._

_"go outside and wait for me. Now. Don't stop anywhere. Just keep running." Tony pushed Harry to the stair case. The four year old did as he was told, taking off running as fast as his little legs can go. Tony wiped his nose on his arm. He looked around the room engulfed in flames. Realization finally taking over his body. He breathed in some dark smoke, coughing loudly. He was gone, just like that. His life taken from him in front of his six month old son. He was never going to be able to hold Steve again, no more quick stolen kisses shared between the two while running around the house._

_"I love you Steve, just remember that. Never forget that or that your sons love you just as much. Watch over them for my sake." Tony whispered to himself. He closed the bedroom door behind him, running away from it in a heartbeat. He took a few steps down the stairs before baking up. He grabbed the two pictures hanging there. He continued down the stairs, still grabbing every picture on the wall. He needed the pictures of Steve. Of all the happy memories. A reminder that his life wasn't all bad at one point. He refuses for his little ones to grow up without remembering their brave World War II soldier. He finally reached the front door, grabbing one last picture of Tony and Steve on their wedding day. Shoving it under his arms along with the twenty others. The fire was creeping its way down the house already. Tony stopped in the door way, the smile that once was glues to his face, turned to a frown._

_"I'll see you later Jarvis. I'll probably reprogram you into a new house or into my phone. But for now take care of my clumsy husband for me while I'm away."_

**_"With pleasure sir."_**

***reviews would be lovely. Sorry if it's bad, my first time writing a Superfamily story :) xx***


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